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Printer capable of detecting status of unutilized ribbon

a technology of unutilized ribbons and printers, applied in printing, type-actuating printing mechanisms, ink ribbons, etc., can solve the problems of reducing the effective utilization of ribbons, inability to print continuous tone of real-life photographs, and increasing the production costs of ribbons

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-08-07
HI TOUCH IMAGING TECH CO LTD
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Most ink jet printers utilize a half tone printing method; they are unable to print continuous tone of a real life photograph.
In this method of detecting ribbon, the special barcode is needed to place in between each dye area, and it decreases the effective utilization of the ribbon 12, resulting in higher production costs of the ribbon 12.

Method used

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  • Printer capable of detecting status of unutilized ribbon
  • Printer capable of detecting status of unutilized ribbon
  • Printer capable of detecting status of unutilized ribbon

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

first embodiment

[0021]Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 illustrates a functional diagram of a printer 50 capable of detecting unutilized ribbon according to the present invention. The printer 50 can be a thermal printer. The printer 50 comprises a ribbon supply end 52 which can be a roller, a ribbon retrieving end 54 which can also be a roller, a ribbon wherein two ends are installed on the ribbon supply end 52 and the ribbon retrieving end 54 respectively, a print head 56 for printing dye on the ribbon onto a print medium; a driving module 58 for driving the ribbon supply end 52 and the ribbon retrieving end 54, and to move the ribbon from the ribbon supply end 52 to the ribbon retrieving end 54; a sensor module 60 installed at each side of the ribbon supply end 52 comprising a first contact sensor 62, and a second contact sensor 64 installed between the first contact sensor 62 and the ribbon supply end 52; a warning interface 66 for displaying a warning signal which can be a warning light or a beepe...

second embodiment

[0026]Please refer to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 illustrates an internal architecture top view diagram of a printer 80 with sufficient ribbon according the present invention. When executing each printout, before the print head 56 prints the dye on the ribbon 72 onto the print medium 74, the platen roller 70 and the print head 56 clamp onto the ribbon 72 and the print medium 74 together to prevent the ribbon 72 and the print medium 74 from slipping. Furthermore, the moving rod 84 of the sensor module 82 will carry the first contact sensor 62 and the second contact sensor 64 towards the ribbon retrieving end 54, when the second contact sensor 64 contacts the shaft 86 of the ribbon retrieving end 54, the sensor module 82 will transmit a corresponding signal to the control module 68 such that the control module 68 is notified when the second contact sensor 64 has contacted the shaft 86 on the ribbon retrieving end 54. If the printer 80 has sufficient ribbon to execute a printout, which means that a...

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PUM

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Abstract

A printer includes a ribbon supply end including a shaft, a ribbon retrieving end, and a ribbon. The two ends of the ribbon are installed on the ribbon supply end and the ribbon retrieving end respectively. The printer further includes a print head, a driving module for driving the ribbon supply end and the ribbon retrieving end so as to move the ribbon from the ribbon supply end to the ribbon retrieving end, a sensing module installed at one side of the ribbon supply end including a first contact sensor, and a second contact sensor installed between the first contact sensor and the ribbon supply end, and a control module for controlling the printer according to whether or not the second contact sensor can contact the shaft of the ribbon supply end when the first contact sensor contacts the ribbon on the ribbon supply end.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a printer capable of detecting status of unutilized ribbon, more particularly, to a printer capable of utilizing a contact sensor to detect the status of unutilized ribbon.[0003]2. Description of the Prior Art[0004]A printer has become an essential output device in our information age. A traditional printer prints data onto a piece of paper or a print medium. As information technology advances, printers nowadays come with a variety of functions. For example, a thermal printer is capable of printing an image directly from a digital camera onto a piece of paper, the advantage is that a user can choose to print a favorite image or photograph and discards the rest. Therefore avoiding waste of resources and money to develop a full roll of traditional negatives to print photographs. The current thermal printer, utilizes a thermal print head to print documents, includes a paper drawer for placing p...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B41J33/32B41J33/36B41J35/35
CPCB41J33/54B41J35/36
Inventor HUANG, KUANG-HUEI
Owner HI TOUCH IMAGING TECH CO LTD